RideFast May 2018

BMW REVEALS A 3D
PRINTED S1000RR CHASSIS
During the recently held Digital Day, an event where BMW shows
and explores the ways that digital technologies are changing the
way we look at transportation, the German manufacturer surprised
by showing a 3D printed S1000RR chassis.
In a special section dedicated to the innovations made by using 3D
printing, or additive manufacturing, BMW revealed a complete frame
and swingarm made by using a 3D printer.
The process involves building up three-dimensional shapes using
thin layers of molten material, and this way manufacturers can
create complicated shapes that simply they can’t do it using
traditional methods like machining or casting processes.
BMW didn’t detail what exactly was used in this 3D printed frame
and swingarm. Usually we see all kinds of objects made in some
kind of plastic, but sometimes, and using the right machines,
DIVERGENT 3D DAGGER
Although BMW have just released their new 3D printed frame, this is not
the first time #D printing has been used on a motorcycle. Back in 2016,
something very special was created using 3D tech - Meet the Kawasaki Ninja
H2 powered Dagger by Divergent 3D.
It is hard to think how Kawasaki could make the Ninja H2 more modern,
considering the bike’s supercharged engine, radical aerodynamics, and
plethora of electronics. But, that didn’t stop the minds at Divergent 3D, a
company that is specializing on making vehicles with 3D printing technology.
For the Divergent 3D Dagger, you can see that the frame, swingarm, and
fuel tank are built using Divergent’s 3D printing technology, which uses
additive manufacturing to create metal-alloy nodes, and carbon fibre tubes to
connect them, when applicable.
In the case of the Divergent 3D Dagger, our best information is that the
machine’s chassis comprises solely of metals that have been 3D printed,
sans the carbon fibre tubes that can be found on the company’s Blade
supercar, though it wouldn’t be hard to change the design of the frame to
employ carbon fibre.
For now, the Divergent 3D Dagger isn’t meant to be a road-going production
machine. Instead, it is to act as a mouthpiece, to show what Divergent 3D
can achieve.
Divergent 3D must be doing a good job of it, as the startup has landed an
agreement with Groupe PSA, the parent company of Peugeot and Citroën,
to aid in car manufacturing.
Now with Divergent 3D Dagger, it will be interesting to see if any motorcycle
OEMs enlist the Californian company’s services. Or, at the very least, copy its
manufacturing ideas. Time will tell.
manufacturers can produce 3D printed parts in metal. And that
seems to be what BMW did with this S1000RR chassis.
The chassis appears to be made in aluminium, and in fact just by
looking at it we can say that it must be really light!
We’re not sure what to think about this 3D printed frame and
swingarm.
We can look at this from the point of view that BMW is in fact
exploring new ways to produce fast and lightweight parts for
motorcycles, but if we want to be realistic, we don’t believe BMW
will be using 3D printed chassis on motorcycles anytime soon.
Probably the German brand is able to find a way to use 3D printed
parts on motorcycles, but we’re thinking it’ll be only some small
parts and used in limited production motorcycles, or special models.
At Digital Day, BMW said that its Research and Innovation Centre
in Munich already makes as many as 140,000 3D printed parts per
year in both plastic and metal, but those are parts used mainly in
their cars like Rolls Royce or the new BMW i8 Roadster.
12 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MAY 2018